9 minute read
MEDICAL RECOVERY
Stumps Scrubs to
Luke Reynolds speaks to former Northamptonshire man Vishal Tripathi about his ‘second life’ as a junior doctor.
Photographs by Chris Booth
t has been a year like no other. With hospitals at breaking point, former cricketer-turned-doctor, Vishal Tripathi, has found it in him to complete his medical training. The 33-year-old doing so during what has to be one of the most challenging periods in the 73-year history of the National Health Service.
The former Northamptonshire man, who made 17 professional appearances, has undergone a remarkable career change with the help of the PCA, swapping stumps for scrubs as a junior doctor at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.
After leaving the game in 2013, it has been far from plain sailing for Tripathi. A gruelling training programme, resulted in mental health challenges, seeing him open up on camera for the Professional Cricketers’ Trust. The video release coinciding with Vitality Blast Finals Day, again in support of the players’ charity.
The PCA’s Head of Communications Luke Reynolds travelled to the north-east to nd out more about Tripathi’s journey, the challenges he has faced, and the path he sees himself following in the future.
Vishal Tripathi
BELOW RIGHT: The PCA’s Head of Communications Luke Reynolds speaks to Vishal Tripathi LUKE REYNOLDS: Talk us through your career in professional cricket.
VISHAL TRIPATHI: I rst started playing at a very young age, and quickly got picked up by Lancashire in the U11s, before moving my way up through the age groups there. I got into the Academy, did well there, and then got a summer contract which unfortunately wasn’t renewed after one year.
After that, I went to university, before moving to Northamptonshire and signing a full-time professional contract. I was there for one season, trying to chase the dream by trialling around, but it wasn’t to be for me. LR: Was there a Plan B when you were trialling?
VT: My main thought process was to get back into the county game after leaving Northants - I felt like I still had a lot to give.
However, once that full-time deal didn’t happen, I felt that I should have a rethink. Three years after I left Northants, when I was aged 25, I decided that I should broaden my horizons. LR: How did you cope with leaving the game on a personal level?
VT: Coming out of the game is dif cult to come to terms with – I really felt like I had lost my identity. You also see people you have played alongside doing so well in the game – I played with and against a lot of the guys who were involved in the 2019 Cricket World Cup win. Retiring was a tough pill to swallow. LR: How did you go about searching for a new path to take?
VT: I had a friend who was a medical student at the time, and she said to me when we were chatting after a game one day that I would make a good doctor. That conversation had a big impact on me, because it made me believe that this was something that I could pursue.
My grandfather was a doctor and he was my biggest inspiration, but he unfortunately became unwell when I began studying. Medicine was my way of carrying the baton when he passed away. LR: Not many cricketers go into medicine after leaving the game. Have you surprised yourself by getting to where you are now?
VT: I didn’t get good GCSEs or A-Levels - you could spell the word ‘fudge’ with the results I got. Going into medicine isn’t about that though, it’s about you as a person, whether you’re willing to put up with the setbacks and
put in the hard yards to achieve your dream of getting into the profession.
The stereotype is that you have to be the smartest person around to study medicine, and there is an academic standard that you need to maintain, but the reality is that it’s not just about that. I’m passionate about getting sportspeople into medicine because of our conditioning and what we learn during our careers. LR: What transferable skills do cricketers have that could help them in a hospital setting?
VT: We’re dedicated, used to doing a lot of training, work well in a dressing room with different personalities all of the time, and there are also a lot of leadership skills. For me, however, the main thing is coping with setbacks. Those skills are worth their weight in gold and we’re very lucky to have them and to be able to transfer them into careers like medicine. LR: Can you explain more about the process of becoming a doctor?
VT: Personally, I had three years of working around healthcare, including volunteering and gaining exposure. It put me out of my comfort zone but it was the biggest learning curve I’ve ever been on. It was also the most humbling thing I’ve ever done - putting someone else’s needs rmly ahead of yours.
I then had to enrol on a six-year medical degree because of my lack of science knowledge, meaning it has taken ten years to get where I am today, and I’ll have another ten years of getting to where I want to be. LR: How challenging has that process been for you personally?
VT: During Year 2 of med school, I was living on my own and nding it so hard to cope with the workload. I felt useless and dumb, and I didn’t have the friends around me that I’d had in the cricket environment. One night it got to two o’clock in the morning and I just cracked – my mind went into overdrive. I opted to pick up the phone, spoke to the Professional Cricketers’ Trust’s Con dential Helpline, and from that point, everything’s been on the up. I still have dips, but I’m better at coping with them now because I have the right tools in place.
LR: What support did you receive?
VT: I’m very lucky to be in the position I’m in, and to have had the support of the Trust throughout my journey. After calling the helpline, I got Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which involved one-to-one conversations with a psychotherapist. We talked about what I had been experiencing and stripped it all back to understand why I was reacting in the way that I was. I had about 15 sessions to get the help that I needed, and it was the best 15 hours I’ve ever spent. LR: Are you passionate about getting more players into medicine?
VT: I would de nitely encourage people to consider whether it is for them, as sportspeople make the best doctors. People leave cricket at
ABOVE: Run out. With Foxes’ Paul Nixon doing the honours. Friends Provident T20 match Northamptonshire v Leicestershire at Wantage Road, June 8 2010.
ABOVE: Opening up on camera in a video for the Professional Cricketers’ Trust different times, and I appreciate that it means different sacri ces depending on your circumstances.
Having said that, I think if I had gotten into medicine earlier, it would have made me a better cricketer, because I would have had that realisation that I’m not playing for a contract or career, and that I had something else to go on to. LR: Have you retained that same buzz you got from cricket?
VT: It’s an even better buzz. Even though you don’t have 20,000 people watching you, it’s a feeling of being part of a machine in the NHS and keeping the country a oat, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. Having an impact on someone’s life humbles you, and for that reason I think it’s more special than playing cricket for the rest of your life. LR: What has your experience of the pandemic been like?
VT: It’s been heart-breaking to see people of all ages getting seriously ill and losing their loved ones. I’ve had personal loss as well, losing my grandparents to Covid-19.
Professionally, my role during the pandemic was just to be a cog in the works and help out where I could. I was redeployed to intensive care to help patients, support nurses and be helpful in any way I could. If that meant getting the coffees in, then that’s what I would have to do. LR: How has it been to experience it so early on in your career?
VT: It’s been incredibly busy and very different to what I experienced during med school. In the winter months things get even busier, but we’re well-equipped and we’re ready to face the challenge. The pandemic will go away one day, but then other things will crop up and it’s just about learning how to deal with it and get through it. LR: What does the future hold for you?
VT: One of the most exciting things about medicine is the diversity of career options. I’m currently a junior doctor which gives me a taste of a lot of different things, including paediatrics and cardiology, for instance.
Looking forward, I fancy myself as a bit of a surgeon and I want to be involved in real life acute situations. I then want to move on and get involved with the community as a GP, where you run your own practice from a position as consultant.
It’s a long career, but it’s exciting because you get to decide what you want to do in the longer term and it’s completely up to you depending on what interests you. LR: What support have you had from the PCA throughout your journey?
VT: The PCA has helped me with every part of this, I don’t think I’d be where I am without them. It’s not just the support side of things but also the funding side of it. I’ll forever be grateful and if I ever become a consultant or a GP I’ll look back at the PCA and remember what they’ve done for me. LR: What’s your message to players in terms of the funding that’s available?
VT: There aren’t many funding opportunities for professional cricketers, but the PCA offers it for a reason, and when you’re committed to something like I was, the PCA will support you every step of the way. With the nancial backing that they’ve given me and my family, I’d recommend it to any cricketer and their family.
My Personal Development Manager Matthew Wood has seen my ups and my downs and been there, not just as someone I’ve been working with, but also as a friend. He’s always been the rst person I’ve gone to when I’ve had struggles with my mental health, and it’s so nice to have someone there who’s not related to your career who can help you and see where you’re really at.
Fast Facts
NAME: Vishal Tripathi ROLE: Right-Hand Bat, Leg-Spin Bowler TEAMS: Northamptonshire, Unicorns FIRST-CLASS MATCHES: 4 LIST A: 10 T20: 3 FC CAREER-BEST: 71 Northamptonshire v Derbyshire, Northampton 2010
